Hornets’ first-half barrage subdues Lions
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
File photo by Rick Nation
LITTLE ROCK — The Bryant Hornets’ ran out to a 19-2 lead to start the game and would up building a 27-point halftime lead as they bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 71-32 romp over the Little Rock McClellan Crimson Lions on Friday evening at Hall High School’s George Cirks Arena.
To open the tournament on Thursday, Bryant had absorbed a 71-55 loss to Little Rock Parkview. McClellan, meanwhile, got clobbered by Little Rock Central, one of Bryant’s 7A-Central Conference rivals, 87-50.
It is not a vintage McClellan team this year as they dropped to 1-5 on the season. They’ll take on Little Rock Hall to complete the tournament Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Hornets will take on Episcopal Collegiate of Little Rock in the consolation bracket final at 2:30 p.m.
Romen Martin led the Hornets with 13 points, 11 in the first half. Lowell Washington broke out a bit with 11 points and five boards and Calvin Allen finished with 10 points, seven assists and six steals in the game.
In fact, 11 guys played for Bryant and 10 of them scored. Christian McIntosh scored 9 points, Sam Chumley 7, Rodney Lambert 6, Deron Canada 4, and Marvin Moody 2 off the Hornets’ bench.
Allen made his first steal and fed Martin for the game-opening basket. Later, another theft resulted in a trip to the free throw line for the Bryant point guard. And when Kaleb Turner kicked a pass to Martin for a 3, McClellan had to get a timeout.
And the Lions scored soon after as Ian Robinson banked in a shot.
But Bryant reeled off the next 12 points. Turner knocked down a pair of free throws, Allen added one and, after taking a charge, drove for a layup to make it 12-2.
Another theft and assist by Allen led to Braylen Steen’s first basket. A McClellan turnover led to a drive-and-dish by Allen that set up a 3-pointer for Turner to make it 17-2 and force another Lions timeout.
When play resumed, Martin assisted on a layup by Chumley before McClellan’s Marcis Hall briefly interrupted with a bucket as he was fouled. Hall, who would lead the Lions with 10 points and eight rebounds, missed the free throw.
At the other end, Allen picked up another assist on a jumper from Canada at elbow. Martin followed up with a steal and a three-point play to make it 24-4.
It was 28-8 with 5:43 left in the half. A 3 from Martin started a Bryant spurt that produced a 28-point advantage. McIntosh added two free throws and an offensive-rebound hoop to make it 35-8.
After yet another McClellan timeout, Jaylen Cunningham converted both ends of a one-and-one. The Lions got another chance to whittle on the margin only to have Chumley step in and absorb a charge.
Free throws by Allen and Lambert increased the margin to 38-10 with 2:39 left in the half. Washington put the punctuation point on the dominant work of the Hornets when, off Allen’s fifth steal of the half, he hammered home a dunk.
The lead reached 30 midway through the second half and continued to grow. Chumley hit a 3 off a kick-out from Canada and, after McClellan’s Ian Robinson hit a pair of free throws, McIntosh came through with a conventional three-point play to make it 57-29 with 11:36 left.
The starters returned to give the reserves a blow and Allen connected on his only basket of the half to make it 59-29 with 10:27 to go. Steen made a steal and Allen fed Martin for a layup and, with 9:11 left, Hornets head coach Mike Abrahamson sat his starters.
Canada made a steal then Chumley and Marvin Moody worked a nice give-and-go to make it 63-29. Lambert, McIntosh and Chumley had buckets after that. Canada closed out the romp with two free throws after the lead had swelled to 37.
HORNETS 71, CRIMSON LIONS 32
Score by halves
BRYANT 46 25 — 71
McClellan 19 13 — 32
HORNETS (5-1) 71
Allen 2-3 6-8 10, Martin 5-6 1-3 13, Turner 1-3 2-2 5, Steen 2-4 0-0 4, Washington 5-6 1-3 11, Lambert 2-4 2-2 6, Moody 1-2 0-0 2, Chumley 3-8 0-0 7, McIntosh 3-5 3-3 9, Canada 1-2 2-2 4, Terry 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-44 17-23 71.
CRIMSON LIONS (1-5) 32
Cunningham 2-3 3-6 7, Hall 3-6 4-5 10, Sanders 0-4 0-0 0, Rodgers0-2 0-0 0, I.Robinson 1-4 2-2 4, Campbell 2-7 0-0 5, Dotson 1-4 0-0 2, M.Robinson 0-5 2-2 2, T.Lair 0-1 0-0 0, Doakes 0-0 0-0 0, Banks 1-3 0-1 2, Barnes 0-0 0-0 0, K.Lair 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 10-39 11-17 32.
Three-point field goals: Bryant 4-10 (Martin 2-3, Chumley 1-3, Turner 1-1, McIntosh 0-2, Lambert 0-1), McClellan 1-3 (Campbell 1-2, Cunnmingham 0-1). Turnovers: Bryant 16, McClellan 22. Rebounds: Bryant 11-20 31 (Washington 2-3 5, Moody 1-4 5, Canada 2-3 5, Steen 1-3 4, Chumley 2-1 3, McIntosh 2-1 3, Turner 0-2 2, Martin 1-0 1, Allen 0-1 1, team 0-2 2), McClellan 15-12 27 (Hall 5-3 8, Campbell 2-2 4, Cunningham 2-1 3, Banks 2-1 3, Rodgers 0-2 2, I.Robinson 1-1 2, Sanders 1-0 1, Doakes 0-1 1, team 2-1 3). Team fouls: Bryant 18, McClellan 16. Fouled out: Bryant, Moody.
